Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database (CABD)
What is the conservation issue?
What we don’t know:
- How many barriers exist in Canada?
- How much habitat is not accessible?
- How do we identify the most important barriers to maximize
benefits?
We need comprehensive
information to answer these questions
Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database (CABD)
Vision:
All Canada’s barrier and connectivity information in one place – easily
and openly accessible!
Project Background
- CABD = central pillar of tools to support CWF’s fish passage
program
- Identify and prioritize barriers for restoration
- Inspired TNC, NCC, and local/regional initiatives (e.g., Adopt a
Stream, Fishwerks)
A Roadmap for Improving Connectivity
- TNC’s Northeast Aquatic Connectivity Assessment Project:
- A database as a partnership building tool
- Brings groups together and centralizes efforts
- Led to significant improvements to fish passage and
connectivity
Penobscot River Restoration (Maine)
- Partnership between government, Indigenous groups, NGOs, and
industry
- Two dam removals and one nature-like fishway
- 2018: 2.8
million+ river herring returned
Data Gathering and Sharing
- CABD relies on existing repositories
- Local in scale
- Single barrier types
- No standardization
- CWF provides national coordination without duplicating effort
- Establish reciprocal relationships
- Share data back to providers
What will the CABD be used for?
- Habitat status assessments and reporting (watershed → national
scales)
- Informing management and regulatory decisions
- Restoration planning and prioritization
- Research and monitoring
- Education and public outreach
CABD Components
- Hydrographic networks
- Barrier data
- Web map and tools
Barrier Data
- Standardized data structure through engagement
- Current barrier types:
- Dams (includes some other structures for now)
- Waterfalls
- Fishways
(inherited CANFISHPASS from the Cooke lab at Carleton University)
- Next steps:
- Stream crossings (road, rail, trail)
- Lateral barriers (dykes/levees, embankments, etc.)
- Others?
Barrier Data Processing
Five main steps:
- Data source compilation
- De-duplication
- Spatial attribute mapping
- Geolocation (including snapping to hydro network)
- Non-spatial information collection
Attribute mapping
- Aggregate attributes from existing spatial sources
- Identification of non-spatial data sources (search engines)
100+ data sources reviewed to
date
CABD v1.0
Complete national coverage released September 2022
Dams
Waterfalls
Fishways
![fishway]()
36,799
22,194
408
CABD v1.0
Are the CABD v1.0 datasets perfect? No!
Phase 1 = compile, deduplicate, and standardize existing datasets
Phase 2 = fill data gaps
CABD v1.0
Are the CABD v1.0 datasets perfect? No!
- Data gaps exist (structures and attributes)
- But, most comprehensive and standardized datasets available
nationally
- Not a one-time effort → living datasets
- CWF, partners, and practitioners across the country can help
contribute data and updates
Next Steps
- Continue information gathering
- Phase 1:
Compile existing datasets (including stream-crossings)
- Phase 2: Begin
to fill data gaps (with input from citizen scientists!)
- Expand features in the web tool
- Develop additional tools (e.g., standardized barrier assessment
protocols, mobile apps)
National Barrier Assessment Protocols
Develop national, life-stage
and species agnostic stream crossing assessment protocol
to:
- Provide a protocol that can be applied across Canada, particularly
where regional protocols don’t exist
- Inform data structure for stream crossings in CABD
National Barrier Assessment Protocols
- Hosted workshop Feb/Mar 2023
- Learn, share, and promote collaboration and coordination
Outcome: form
working group to finalize collaborative national protocols
Connectivity Assessment and Reporting
- DFO’ status of fish and fish habitat reporting
- What is the state of fish
habitat connectivity in Canada?
- DFO has recognized CABD as data source to assess connectivity
- Hosted ‘Advancing Approaches for Assessing Freshwater Connectivity
in Canada’ workshop with ECCC, DFO
- CABD can help centralize, coordinate, and modernize reporting
Connectivity Planning and Prioritization
- Watershed Connectivity Restoration Planning framework
- Collaborative planning of strategic barrier restoration
- Applied in BC, AB, PEI, and NS
- Guide document for connectivity planning in Canada
- CABD supports watershed-scale planning work
Supporting Policy and Management Decisions
- CABD contributes to multilateral initiatives to improve policy and
management for conservation and management of connectivity:
- Connectivity Working Group (Pathway to Canada Target 1)
- National Program for Ecological Corridors (PC)
- Freshwater connectivity indicator for protected areas in Canada
- Open data source to inform regulatory decisions under federal and
provincial acts (e.g., Fisheries Act)